Ravens announce Ray Rice settlement

On Thursday, after PFT reported that the Ravens had settled the Ray Rice grievance, an email was sent to the team for confirmation. The Ravens declined to do so.

In a 5:04 p.m. ET Friday-afternoon bad-news dump, the Ravens have disclosed that all issues with Rice have been negotiated to conclusion.

“The Ravens agreed to resolve the grievance with Ray Rice,” team president Dick Cass said. “It’s time to turn the page, and we’re moving forward.”

Rice wanted $3.52 million from the Ravens. The settlement presumably falls somewhere between zero and $3.52 million, perhaps closer to the maximum because of the apparent strength of Rice’s position that the Ravens imposed a second punishment upon him by terminating his employment weeks after the NFL levied a two-game suspension.

Whatever Rice receives adds to the $25 million he was paid from July 2012 through December 2013. He remains a free agent, able to sign with any other team.

People will express outrage over this. In reality he is absolutely right. Despite his appalling actions, proper protocol was not followed and the procedure was unlawful. He still has rights, even if people would like for him not too. Freedom works both ways.

I doubt he got as much as you think. The league is the only one who changed its mind and imposed two punishments for one offense. The Ravens simply exercised their right to cut a player, which any team can do at basically any time.

In what universe can you commit a crime, get fired for it, and then successfully sue your employer for wrongful termination?

It’s not about getting paid for punching her. It’s about issuing a punishment for the punching and then when a video is released issuing a second punishment. Double jeopardy folks. They should have gotten it right the first time. What did they exactly think a video was going to reveal? A love tap? A small price to pay for PR mitigation.

Hard working men in this country working their butts off to provide for their families. This turd beats up his woman, files a grievance against his employer and gets a few million bucks. Just another reason why this country is going to hell.

“smack your woman around get paid for it.. everyone wants that kind of job”.

Funny a Raider fan says this. Meanwhile, Raider fans are stabbing, shooting, and beating people after or during games, and you feel like you actually have a platform to speak? GREAT job of the pot calling the kettle black.

Nobody is advocating beating women, and the Ravens settled because they knew they were in the wrong with his termination. Rice had leverage, but the incident that precipitated this, as unfortunate as it was, doesn’t allow for the Ravens to suddenly terminate him without being compensated.

P.S. Please don’t make this a Ravens thing. Haha, if you think your favorite team is beyond covering up for it’s star player’s off the field transgression your simply being naive.
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If you think Ray Rice is a “Star” I think you may be the one whom is being Naive.

Every team has people that makes mistakes, there are whispers conspiracy he said she said….about what may or may not have happened.

These is pretty cut and dry. There may be some teams that try to cover it… I think your wrong in saying all teams, I don’t think the Patriots would let this slide Especially after Hernendez, and I don’ think the Packers would let this go, along with plenty of other teams. The Ravens were in the wrong big time on this.

He did not have a strong case. What he did have was a strong desire by the Ravens to end this completely without another rehash during the process. They probably offered 1/2 and said if he pressed forward he would lose and get nothing.

Art. 46 of the CBA prohibits double punishment. Once the League disciplines a player, the club cannot impose its own discipline for the same offense.

Rice’s argument was that once Goodell suspended him for the elevator incident, the Ravens could not cut him based on the same incident. If that argument is followed to its logical conclusion, that means that once the Commissioner imposes discipline, the player has immunity from being cut for any reason other than on-the-field performance.

The Ravens (and League) did not want to see that issue decided. They want to jealously guard a team’s ability to cut a player for whatever reason it deems fit. They wanted to do whatever they could to prevent decisions to cut players from being second-guessed in arbitration.

Also, given the Mueller report, the Ravens don’t exactly have clean hands here. I’ll bet they don’t want Rice to disclose what team officials told him while they were still trying to sweep this entire matter under the carpet.

“smack your woman around get paid for it.. everyone wants that kind of job”.

Funny a Raider fan says this. Meanwhile, Raider fans are stabbing, shooting, and beating people after or during games, and you feel like you actually have a platform to speak? GREAT job of the pot calling the kettle black.

Nobody is advocating beating women, and the Ravens settled because they knew they were in the wrong with his termination. Rice had leverage, but the incident that precipitated this, as unfortunate as it was, doesn’t allow for the Ravens to suddenly terminate him without being compensated….. Man, you’re bitter, you need anger management

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gabrosin says:
Jan 16, 2015 5:37 PM
I doubt he got as much as you think. The league is the only one who changed its mind and imposed two punishments for one offense. The Ravens simply exercised their right to cut a player, which any team can do at basically any time.

In what universe can you commit a crime, get fired for it, and then successfully sue your employer for wrongful termination?
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Yea you sound like the Ravens legal staff with that lame excuse. The Ravens definitely changed their minds and cut Rice as punishment….what you don’t think we have the internet? The Ravens supported him throughout this process until the 2nd video came out and then they decided to go all cya. Anyone can easily look up and follow every single detail in this ordeal so stop pretending like the Ravens all of a sudden decided to cut Rice because he wasn’t performing up to his ability or to save cost. Also you need to really dust up on your league rules about player contracts because a number of contracts guarantee a player’s salary for that season if cut after the season begins.

Ray Rice was clean as a whistle until this happened. He was a pillar in the Community, always helping those in need. He got drunk, smacked his wife and now everyone forgets all he has done and made him out to be Satan. Anybody who has ever gotten drunk and says they have not done something stupid, is a liar. Second chances are what our society is all about, I am willing to take his wife’s word that this was an isolated incident which they both greatly regret. I hope Ray gets a second chance and makes good on it.

jayniner says:
Jan 16, 2015 5:34 PM
If he’s managed to save any of that $25 million and what he just got paid……retire, man.

If anyone does pick him up, god help them, not just because of the fiancee beating thing, but because he was averaging 2.9 yards per carry.
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I’m in no way a Ray Rice fan, but I don’t know where you got that 2.9 yards per carry (ypc) stat. His career avg is 4.3 ypc. The last full year (2013) that he played his average was 3.1 ypc, and the only time he averaged less than 4 ypc. That 3.1 ypc avg tells me, he was dealing with an injury and with a full year off, he could bounce back just because he is healthy as well as probably infuriated with the situation, and take it out on everyone he plays, and don’t let the team he goes to, play the Ravens…haha!

If Demarco Murray leaves Dallas and I am guessing they will lose him and keep Dez, which is probable at this point. Sadly he would make a good fit in Dallas with the underwear thief being the other back there. God please dont let Jerry do this.

Good post countrygonemad. All these saints that are posting here sound like they have never made a mistake or done something stupid especially while being drunk. Dig deep people before you put down ray for making a STUPID, but human mistake.

I did not see the complaint or any pleadings in this matter,however,
I agree that legally Ray Rice had more than a leg to stand on.
As Mr. Florio is well aware there are many ways to structure a
settlement tht can save both parties from embarrassment. In
many complaints there are facts that are plead under theories of
damages that can be tax free or paid by a companies insurance coverage. ( that is sometimes not easy as anyone whom has dealt with
claims adjusters would tell you! ) Most settlements in matters like this
include non- disclosure clauses. Pracmatically we may never know all the true details.

Good post countrygonemad. All these saints that are posting here sound like they have never made a mistake or done something stupid especially while being drunk. Dig deep people before you put down ray for making a STUPID, but human mistake.

lucksnebeard1212 says:
Jan 17, 2015 10:16 AM
Art. 46 of the CBA prohibits double punishment. Once the League disciplines a player, the club cannot impose its own discipline for the same offense.
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This is not true. For example, LaVon Brazil was suspended a year for failing another drug test, the Colts cut him.

A team can cut a player for any reason. I don’t understand why the Ravens settled this case.
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People mistakenly believe that a settlement implies that the Ravens would have lost. The reality is they just wanted it over. The settlement was less costly than the damage done via a public rehash in a lengthy process and appeal when Rice lost.

This is good news as we are one step closer to not hearing about this story again. In my estimation we have about two or three more left during training camp on whatever teams may send an invite.

After that, done. Can’t wait !
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bmoreb:

New England taped from the wrong location on the field many years ago, and it is never “we are one stop closer to not hearing about this story again.” It’s been close to a decade…a decade, bmore, and it isn’t done because fans are jealous of the success the team has had all these many years, and it’s all they have on which to hang their hat for their own team’s failures. I hate to be the one to tell you, but the story, the ramifications, the blame, and the ugliness will never go away. There will always be stories about rice bashing his wife in the face, ray lewis and his issue, etc. On less successful teams, issues of this nature sometimes fade away, but with the more successful teams, it is never fully forgotten, and there will always be stories brought up.